Gotham's Darkest Night
by Salsagirl626
Summary: “Heh, heh, heh,” I froze when I heard that laugh: that horrible laugh that had recently taken over my dreams. “Harvey Harvey Harvey Den-t has a baby sister! Ohh, doesn’t this make things interesting?” No Joker/OC See Profile for fic-art!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey everyone! This is my Dark Knight fic that I've been writing for...well a while now. Anyway, it's basically the event's of the movie through the eyes of Theresa Dent, Harvey's younger sister, that will lead up to the sequel I have planned. I switched the ages around a little bit, just to make it fit my story better. Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: No, I do not own The Dark Knight or any of the character's from the movie. They belong to DC comics, Chris Nolan, and Warner Brothers. Unfortunately. :)

Chapter 1

"No! I wont allow it!"

"Harvey!" I whined back, "It's Thanksgiving! I'm not going to _not _come home."

I heard him sigh on his end of the phone. "Look, things here aren't safe for ordinary citizens, for you it'd be even worse. You're related to me remember?"

I rolled my eyes at that. Sure, he was the new district attorney, Gotham's "White Knight," but he was also my annoyingly over-protective big brother, a title I knew he would always have. "How could I forget?" I said sarcastically, "Harv, just because I'm your baby sister doesn't mean you have to baby me. Trust me! I can take care of myself." I said light-heartedly to ease the mood. "Anyway, I've already bought my train tickets, and my train gets in Saturday at 1:35. I'll see you there ok? Don't be late now!"

He sighed again, "There's never any convincing you is there?"

"Nope!" I replied, "C'mon, you should know that by now!"

I heard him laugh, "I guess I should. I'll pick you up Saturday at 1:35, and I won't be late."

"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist your baby sister! Thanks Harv, you're the best! I'll see you then, bye!"

"Bye Rese, Don't get into any trouble before then!" He cautioned.

"Don't worry Harvey, I'll be fine. I'm in the middle of a cornfield, remember?"

"I'll talk to you later sis."

"Alright, alright, fine. Bye! I love you."

"Love you too." And with that the connection ended and I headed off to class.

HARVEYTWOFACEHARVEYTWOFACE

Later that day, as I was packing my bags to go home, my fiery red-haired friend Sarah walked in my dorm.

"Hey girl! So, your brother finally caved, huh?" She said waggling her eyebrows.

I laughed and pushed my dirty blond hair out of my face. It was no secret that she had a crush on him, for she told me almost every time she saw me.

"It's sad. I'm a senior in college, and I need my big brother's permission to come home. For Thanksgiving much less! There is definitely something wrong with this picture."

"Aww, c'mon Theresa! He's just being protective of his widdle swister! I think it's cute!" she laughed.

I threw a sweater at her. "You're never gonna give up are you?" I laughed too.

"Nope!" Sarah said proudly. "I'm only…" she paused to count on her fingers, "eleven years younger!"

I rolled my eyes at her smiling. "Yeah, but he has a girlfriend, remember?"

"Oh yeah." She sighed, slumping her shoulder, "_Her_. Well, she won't last long anyway right?" She asks hopefully.

I smile, "Sure."

She rolls her eyes at me and throws my sweater back at me laughing. "You're such a kill joy! You'll see, one day! And then we could be sisters!"

"You're crazy," I tell her, and she smiles back.

"Crazy in love!" We both laugh at that as I continue packing.

Sarah and I had been friends since the previous year when we were both studying abroad in Rome together, but we instantly clicked. Ever since then we've been pretty much inseparable, especially since she met my brother. I really had no problem with her crush, as it was more of a running joke between the two of us anyway.

"So anyway, do you wanna take the train together? My flight's leaving out of Gotham International on Sunday, and you know how I hate taking the train alone!" Sarah pleaded with me.

"I'd love to, but I'm heading back on Saturday. Unless, of course, you'd want to spend the night with us? I could drive you to the airport on Sunday."

Sarah grinned; I didn't even have to wait for her to respond, already knowing the answer. "Oh, well, I wouldn't want to be a burden or anything!" She said, still grinning.

"Alright! I get it!" I said laughing at the expression on her face, "I already bought my ticket for the 11:15 train, so you're gonna have to get yourself one."

"Thank you!" Sarah shot up and hugged me, "You are the best! Do you know that?" she exclaimed heading towards the door.

I laughed, "Yeah, you've mentioned it a few times."

After I finished packing, Sarah and I headed to dinner discussing our plans for our day in Gotham. We decided after we dropped our stuff at my mom and step dad's house we'd head back into the city to go shopping and have dinner. Sarah could hardly contain her excitement, as she was from a small town in Pennsylvania and rarely got to spend time in any big cities. I was excited too. I couldn't wait to get home and see my brother and Rachel.

Sarah and I soon finished dinner and headed our separate ways; I had a big night of studying before me that I was not looking forward to. As I headed to the library

I mused of an email I had gotten earlier in the week from Harvey. He asked me how I would feel if he popped the big question to Rachel. Of course I emailed back that I was fine with it, but I couldn't help but feel it might be too early in their relationship. Yeah, they were great together, but there was something there I couldn't put my finger on. Though, I could tell he was nervous about the whole situation, so I tried not to interfere too much with it. I knew he'd figure out how to ask her and it would be perfect.

As I sat in the library, I could tell I had a long night ahead of me. I smiled at the thought that after tomorrow I would finally be home. That thought would get me through the next day and my two tests. It was going to be a great trip.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: So here's chapter 2 and it is MUCH longer than chapter 1, so enjoy!

A/N EDIT: There's just a few little things I wanted to change in this to make it flow better with the movie :)

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything, it's all DC, Nolan, and Warner Bros.

Chapter 2

"Sarah! Hurry up! We're gonna miss the train!" I pleaded with my best friend.

"I know, I know! I'm just finishing packing!" With that she threw open the door and looked at me with pleading eyes, "I'm sorry Rese! I just couldn't figure out what to bring, you know how unpredictable Gotham weather can be!"

I smile, "It's ok, don't worry, but the cab will be here in like five minutes so we gotta bolt!" I was so excited, it was finally Saturday! I had gotten through my tests yesterday just by the thought that today I would be going home and have two weeks off of school.

"Ok, I'm ready," Sarah said with a grin, "Let's go!"

We chatted the whole way, both excited for a day of shopping in Gotham. We made it to the train just in time and found seats together. It was difficult considering how big my bag was and it turned out I needed a seat all to myself because of it.

The ride went by fairly quickly as I listened to my iPod and fell asleep. I awakened when we finally reached the outskirts of Gotham and I began to get very excited. It seemed like such a long time since I had seen my favorite city. Even though I knew it was full of crime and that corruption was everywhere, I also knew it was filled with people who were working their hardest to fix it's problems. Good people like my brother and Rachel, who would do anything to make Gotham a better place.

I practically jumped out of my seat when the train finally came to a stop. I could see Sarah across the isle grinning at me.

"What?" I asked, confused by the way she was looking at me.

"Nothing, it's just that you're really bouncy when you're excited. I can't help it if it's amusing!" Her grin widened. I narrowed my eyes at her in jest, but joined her with a grin of my own.

When the doors opened, Sarah helped me drag my giant bag off the train and down the platform. It was easy for her since she only had a little bag of her own, having most of her things at her home. As soon as we cleared the boarding area I saw Harvey looking through the crowd of people. Dropping my bag I yelped and ran at him, attacking him with a hug.

"Harvey!" I was so happy to finally see my brother.

Harvey lost his balance, but quickly engulfed me in a bear hug of his own. "Hey Rese! It's good to see you too!" He laughed. "Where's your stuff? I don't believe for one second that you came home without anything."

I pulled away, still grinning. "Oh! I left it with," but at that moment Sarah came up to us dragging my bag behind her, "Sarah!"

"Hey Harvey!" She greeted my brother cheerfully.

Harvey shot me a quick glance before giving Sarah one of his winning smiles. "Hey Sarah, it's good to see you again. I see you got stuck with my sister's bag?"

Sarah laughed, "You know Rese!" Harvey joined her in the joke.

"Well let's just all have a laugh at my expense now, why don't we?"

"Aww Rese, c'mon, don't be so serious!" Harvey smiled as he draped a friendly arm over my shoulders.

I couldn't help but smile, I was an awful packer and everybody knew it. Right at that moment a voice called out, "Harvey!"

I turned around to see Rachel walking towards us. I grinned.

"It is dreadful trying to find a parking space in this city!" Rachel exclaimed as she walked up to us and handed Harvey a set of keys. "Theresa! It's so good to see you!" She said as she hugged me.

"You too, it's been forever!" I smiled and turned to introduce Sarah to Rachel. "And this is my friend Sarah Ivans, we go to school together."

"Hi! It's nice to meet you. I'm Rachel Dawes." Rachel extended her hand to Sarah who shook it in return. I was the only one to notice her moment's hesitation and slight frown on her face. I grinned; I knew I'd hear about this later.

"It's nice to meet you too. Rese has told me all about you."

"All good things I hope!" Rachel smiled at me.

"Only the best!" I replied back.

"Alright, c'mon, let's get going." Harvey prompted us, "Here, Rese let me help you with that bag."

"Thanks Harv," It was so good to be home. Rachel and Sarah walked a head of us, since a giant bag didn't burden them down.

"Jesus, Rese, what do you have in here?"

"Oh you know, the usual: dead bodies, a ton of bricks, probably some dumbbells too."

He laughed at me. "You never change."

"Why should I? I'm perfectly perfect the way I am."

He grinned, "Of course, I wouldn't have you any other way."

"Aw, thanks Harv." I paused, "So, sorry I didn't tell you that Sarah was coming, it was kind of a last minute thing. Do you think mom and Dan will mind her staying the night? She's flying out of International tomorrow and I thought I'd drive her."

"Well," Harvey hesitated, "About that. Mom and Dan aren't exactly home right now."

I looked at him confused. "Wait, so, I'm staying at your place? What about mom and Dan? Where are they?" I asked a little taken aback at this turn of events.

Harvey sighed, "They decided to use those plane tickets we got them for their anniversary last year, so they're in Bermuda right now."

I looked at him. "Oh," was all I could reply. "Why didn't they tell me?"

"It was a last minute trip." He paused, "Well, actually, I pointed out to them that they were about to expire."

I smiled; at least they would be having a fun time in nice, warm Bermuda. "So it's just you and me for turkey day, huh?"

He grinned at me, "Know how to cook a turkey?"

I rolled my eyes, "Harv, I can hardly make microwave popcorn with out messing it up, do you honestly think I could make an entire thanksgiving dinner?" I laughed.

"Very fair point," He smiled, "I still can't get the taste out of my mouth when you tried to make my 21st birthday cake!"

I whacked his arm, "Hey! I worked hard on that cake! And plus, I was only 11!" I tried to frown, but couldn't keep a straight face, it wasn't long before we were both laughing. "It was an awful cake wasn't it?"

"That's one word for it." He mused. I grinned as we got to his car, I was glad his new job hadn't gotten to his head too much and he was still the same Harvey I knew and loved. I helped him load my suitcase full of laundry into his car when we finally caught up to Sarah and Rachel.

When we were all settled in the car Harvey asked if we had any plans for the day. I told him how Sarah and I had planned to go shopping and have dinner in the city.

"How would you two feel about dinner at Rossellini's tonight? I've already made reservations at seven for three, but I'm sure I can get us one more seat."

My eyes widened, "Rossellini's? How did you manage that one?" I asked, knowing how exclusive that restaurant was.

"Hey, I'm Harvey Dent remember?" He winked in the rearview mirror. I was pretty positive I wasn't the only person in the car who rolled their eyes.

HARVEYTWOFACEHARVEYTWOFACE

It didn't take us too long to reach Harvey's town house in a nice part of the city. The houses were all lined up neatly with garages in the back and made of brick. All together, it was a very modern looking street. We got out of the car, Harvey helping with the suitcases and Sarah babbling away about who knows what. I smiled and helped Rachel with my giant bag.

"How much laundry did you bring home this time Rese?"

I laughed, "Too much, but I can't help it that the machines at school are so expensive!"

Rachel smiled, "Fair point. So, what's new with you? I feel like I haven't talked to you in forever!"

"Nothing really, just trying to get through senior year."

"Oh, you'll be fine, the teaches always just try to scare you. It really isn't that bad."

I smiled, "Thanks Rachel. So, how are things with you and Harvey?"

Her face brightened, "Oh, Rese, they're so good! Who knew you're brother could be such the charmer?"

Laughing I replied, "I know, trust me, I'm still trying to believe it myself!"

"And he's taking us to Rossellini's tonight! I can't wait for that, but I don't know if I have anything to wear! Would you hate it if I came shopping with you and Sarah?" Rachel asked as we dragged my bag through the back door into the kitchen.

"Of course not! That sounds great, and I'm sure Sarah would be fine with it. Though I think we're going to rest a bit first. For whatever reason, that train makes me so tired!"

Rachel laughed, "I know what you mean. Just let me know when you guys are ready to leave, I'll be here." She smiled.

I smiled back, "It's so good to see you again Rachel, we'll have to chat more later."

I left my bag by the laundry closet and headed upstairs to find Harvey.

"Hey Harvey!" I called out, "Usual room?"

I heard him reply from upstairs, "You guessed it. Can you grab some extra sheets from the closet for me? I'm trying to set up this air mattress."

I laughed to myself as I stepped onto the landing; Harvey was hopeless with that thing. I headed into his room to grab the extra sheets. I smiled as I saw a picture of dad on his dresser. Our dad had died when I was fifteen, and Harvey was twenty-five. It was hard on both of us: me being in my first year of high school and Harvey just starting law school, neither of us took it well. Thankfully, Harvey was at school in Gotham, so he was able to spend a lot of time at home with mom and me. I smiled remembering how that was when Harvey and I started getting really close. Since then, we've pretty much become each other's best friend and feel comfortable going to each other about any and everything.

I glanced at the other pictures he had on his dresser, smiling when I noticed the picture of him and me that I'd given him for his birthday last year. Shaking myself out of my state of reminiscence, I quickly walked over to his closet and grabbed some extra sheets and an extra pillow. Arms full, I headed back to my room.

HARVEYTWOFACEHARVEYTWOFACE

"Oh Rachel! Look at this one!" I called out. It was later that afternoon and we were out shopping both for fun and to look for something nice to wear tonight. Sarah had decided that she was going to skip dinner and rest for her early flight instead, but was still more than eager to go shopping.

I pulled a pretty cranberry cocktail dress from the rack as Rachel approached me. "I don't know. Do you think I can pull off this color?"

I smiled, "Of course! Go try it on!" Rachel smiled and headed towards the dressing room. I turned around looking for Sarah and saw her a few racks away looking at some nice tops.

"Hey you. What's up?" I asked as I slid up alongside her.

She sighed, "Oh, not much, just can't really find anything I like. So, Harvey and Rachel, eh? Is it serious?"

I smiled, "Yeah," I leaned in, "Don't tell anyone, but Harvey's going to propose!" The excitement in my voice was evident.

Sarah leaned back, surprised. "Really? Wow, how long have they been dating?"

"About a year, I think, but I don't know. I haven't really kept track. Isn't it exciting though?" I couldn't help but smile at the thought of Rachel actually being my sister.

"Yeah, great. I'm glad Harvey found someone that he's so happy with."

"It is nice isn't it?" At this point Rachel cam out of the dressing room in the dress I had picked out.

"So what do you girls think?" She did a little twirl in the dress.

"Yes, definitely. It's gorgeous! Harvey will love it." I knew I had picked out the perfect dress as I walked towards Rachel. "You need to get this dress Rachel, it looks amazing on you."

Rachel laughed, "Ok! I'll get it! Now let me go change."

"Now, I need to find something." I sighed, "This is what I get for leaving all my nice clothes at school." I eventually found a pretty plum v-neck dress with an a-line skirt that flattered my broad shoulders and short torso.

When we were all shopped out, we all had a few bags each. By my standards it was a very good shopping day. We got back to Harvey's around five-thirty, just enough time to shower and get ready for the night.

Back in my room, Sarah and I unpacked our findings of the day.

"So, I got the dress, which you saw, and then Rachel found these silver shoes that match the trimming on the waist! Isn't this perfect?" I gushed at Sarah.

"Yeah, it's great." She said, a sad tone in her voice.

"Hey, is everything ok? Are you sure you don't want to come out to dinner with us?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired." She replied. "Go get ready, I'll help you with your hair ok?"

I smiled went over to my friend and hugged her. "You're the best, you know that?"

"Yeah, you've told me a few times." She smiled as I went off to take a shower.

About an hour later we were finally ready to leave, we had ordered a pizza for Sarah who was cuddled up in front of the TV watching movies. We said our goodbyes and headed out the door. The restaurant was gorgeous when we got there, definitely the nicest place I have ever been.

"Welcome to Rossellini's," the maître d' greeted us in a heavy Italian accent, "Please, follow me." We followed him to a table in the middle of the restaurant where a waiter was already there ready to pull our chairs out for us. I thanked the waiter as he handed me a menu the size of a small novel.

"You know, it took me three weeks to get a reservation here," Harvey announced as he took his seat, noting the crowded room. "And I had to tell them I work for the government." Rachel and I shared a smirk.

"Really?" Rachel replied with a laugh in her tone.

"The city health inspector's not afraid to pull strings," He pointed out to us. I laughed at my brother's obvious tactics of trying to impress Rachel.

"So, Theresa, tell me, how's school going?" Rachel asked me.

"Oh you know, the usual. I'm doing fine though, lots of studying."

"That's good," Harvey replied, "After all that we've spent on it. School's are much too expensive these days."

I rolled my eyes, "Harvey Dent, ever the politician." We shared a laugh at that, ready to enjoy a night of each other's company.

Out of nowhere, I heard a voice calling Rachel's name. "Rachel! Fancy that."

We all looked up as Rachel replied to the call. "Yeah, Bruce, fancy that."

I looked at the man walking towards us who looked strangely familiar to me. I knew I knew him from somewhere, that I had met him before, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

He suavely introduced Rachel to the beautiful blond women with him. "Rachel, Natascha. Natascha, Rachel."

Rachel cocked her head in recognition. "Natascha, are you the prima…?"

He finished her sentence for her, "The prima ballerina for the Moscow ballet."

"Wow," Rachel seemed impressed, "Harvey's taking me next week." The man turned his attention towards my brother's and my side of the table. It was my first time really looking at him, and needless to say when we made eye contact I blushed and quickly looked away. I figured out where I knew him. But it couldn't be him, could it? This guy seemed so suave and classy, nothing like the man who I thought he was. And plus what would he be doing in Gotham? The man in front of us was seemed so intimidating; I hoped he would pass our table quickly.

"Really? So, you're into ballet?" He asked Harvey.

Rachel smiled, "Bruce, this is Harvey Dent."

Harvey extended his hand towards Gotham's prince who shook it. "The famous Bruce Wayne. Rachel's told me everything about you." I looked at my brother confused. How did he know him? My friends at school would die for a chance to meet Bruce Wayne, and here I was face to face with the man, and I didn't even recognize him!

"Well, I certainly hope not." He replied, then turning his attention on me.

Thankfully Rachel jumped in, "This is Harvey's sister, Theresa, Bruce."

I blushed as I shook his extend hand, which I noted was incredibly soft, and mumbled a "Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine," He replied, though he paused and gave me a second look. "Have we met before?"

"I, I don't think so." I blushed. Rachel shot me a look and I just shrugged.

Bruce shook his head and addressed the rest of the table. "So, lets put a couple tables together."

"I'm not sure that they'll let us," Harvey was turning his head looking for any possible room to rearrange the tables.

"Oh, they should, I own the place." Bruce replied as he gestured towards the maître d' who immediately came over to rearrange the tables.

When we were all settled again I was seated in between Rachel and Bruce, much to my dismay. From what I had already seen of him, as handsome and cute as he was, he was quite arrogant and unconcerned about anyone but himself. He was definitely not the man I had originally thought he was. _But they look exactly alike, _I mused, shaking my head. I'd think on it later.

After we ordered and our drinks came, we waited for our meals to come. It didn't take long for talk to turn to Gotham's corruption and the batman. I sipped my wine as I listened to the conversation. I had been away for so long I felt distant from the conversation, but it was very interesting.

Natascha brought up the question as to why one would want raise children in a city like Gotham.

"Well, I was raised here, I turned out ok." Bruce pointed out.

"Is Wayne Manor in the city limits?" My brother asked laughing.

"The Palisades? Sure." Bruce answered, "You know, as our new DA, you might want to figure out where your jurisdiction ends."

Natascha cut in, her Russian accent strong, "I'm talking about the kind of city that idolizes a masked vigilante."

"Gotham City is proud of an ordinary citizen standing up for what's right." Harvey replied.

"Gotham needs elected officials like you, not a man who thinks he's above the law." Natascha retorted.

"Exactly," Bruce cut in, "Who appointed the batman?"

"We did." Harvey pointed out, "All of us who stood by and let scum take control of our city."

"But this is a democracy, Harvey" Natascha persisted.

Harvey took a breath and leaned forward. "When their enemies were at the gates, the Romans would suspend democracy and appoint one man to protect the city. It wasn't considered an honor, it was considered a public service."

Rachel laughed. "Harvey, the last man they appointed to protect the republic was named Caesar, and he never gave up his power."

"Ok, fine. You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." Harvey paused. "Look, whoever the batman is, he doesn't want to do this for the rest of his life? How could he? Batman is looking for someone to take up his mantle."

"Someone like you, Mr. Dent?" Natascha asked. I was starting to get annoyed with her, as she was clearly flirting with my brother.

"Maybe, if I'm up to it." Harvey replied.

"What if Harvey Dent is the caped crusader?" Natascha held up her drink napkin covering the top half of Harvey's face.

I let out a little laugh. "Harvey? Please. He's tough, but he's not batman material."

Harvey gave me a look, then turned to everyone else. "If I were sneaking out every night, someone would have noticed by now." He grabbed Rachel's hand and she smiled at him. I rolled my eyes.

"Well, I'm sold." Bruce interjected, "Dent, I'm going to throw you a fundraiser."

Harvey smiled. "That's nice Bruce, but I'm not up for re-election for another three years."

"No, you don't understand, one fundraiser with my pals, you'll never need another cent."

HARVEYTWOFACEHARVEYTWOFACE

A/N: So here's chapter two, I hope you all like it! It was going to be longer, but it's at about ten pages as it is, so I thought I'd stop while I was ahead. Next chapter you'll find out where Theresa recognized Bruce from, so stick around for that! ^_^

Reviews are much appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Here's the next chapter! Enjoy :)

Disclaimer: Still don't own it :P

Chapter 3

As soon as we returned, I headed upstairs, barley saying goodnight to Harvey and Rachel. I raced into my room and grabbed my laptop, drumming my fingers on the desk as I waited for it to start up.

"Ugh, Rese, what are you doing?" Sarah's tired voice came from behind me.

"Oh, Sarah! I'm sorry." I turned around; I had completely forgotten she was in my room due to my rush. "It's just, we'll you'll never guess who I had dinner with! Well, at least I think it was him…" I trailed off lost in thought as I signed into my computer.

Sarah rolled out of bed and came to join me at my computer, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Ok, you've got me intrigued. So what happened?"

"So, you remember that man I met in Rome?"

"Brian? Yeah, the guy from the piazza, what about him?" She sounded a little bored, but I had talked about Brian non-stop for about two months after, so I could understand her slight annoyance.

"Well, I think I had dinner with him tonight. Only his name wasn't Brian. It was Bruce Wayne."

Sarah's jaw dropped "You had dinner with Bruce Wayne? _The_ Bruce Wayne?" Sarah seemed stunned

"Yeah, I did. Apparently he and Rachel are friends." I moved the cursor over to my photo album from Rome and clicked through, trying to find the picture of the man at the fountain. "Here, I have a picture of him. Tell me what you think. They can't possibly be the same man!"

As I looked at the picture, a smile formed on my face. I remember that day like it was yesterday.

ROMEBATMANROMEBATMAN

It had been another great day in Rome, and I was sad I would be heading back to the United States soon. I was out walking around the city with my camera, wanting to get some last shots of this city I had come to love. I was walking through the Piazza Navona around dusk when all around me the lights of the city began to come on. I knew this could be the perfect opportunity to get some great shots of the piazza. I made my to the fountain in the middle and admired the way the piazza looked with all the restaurants and people wandering through.

I raised my camera to my eye and looked through toward the fountain. As I focused the shot, I noticed a man close by reading a paper on the railing around the fountain. He was very handsome, but seemed so content and comfortable reading his paper; he looked as if he had always been there. The way he was seated on the rail, with the fountain behind him and the rose-colored sky was an incredible image.

Before I really knew what I was doing, I walked right up to the man. "Scusi, signore." The man looked up at me from his book, "Posso fare una foto?" I asked in broken Italian.

"Si, si." He replied and got up to move off the bench.

"No! No, signore! Umm… una foto con suo? Sono una studentessa dell'arte."

"Ahh, si." He sat there awkwardly looking at me.

"Oh! Umm…legge per favore?" I motioned towards his newspaper and the man nodded and went back to his reading. I stepped back a couple of paces and knelt down to get the angle I wanted. The man looked so perfect sitting on there that I couldn't help but want to capture this moment. After I took the first shot, I readjusted some of the settings on my camera. I looked through the lens again, and as I clicked the shutter the man turned and stared right at me.

I looked up at the man and gave him a confused look. "Uh, è un problema signore?"

The man gave a light laugh. "You know, I really don't speak any Italian. This would be much easier if we could just speak English."

I stared at the man wide eyed and I could feel my face burning with embarrassment. "Oh, wow. I feel like a food." I commented more to myself than him.

He smiled and laughed. "It's ok really. So, did you get the shot you wanted?"

"Huh?" I was still mystified that this man wasn't Italian. "Oh! The picture! Right, umm, yeah, it came out fine." I was completely distracted by this little half smile that the man wore on his face. He seemed very amused by me. I blushed again. Not knowing what else to do, I stuck my hand out, "I'm Theresa."

"Nice to meet you Theresa," the man stood up, "I'm Bru-," He coughed as if to clear his throat, "Brian." He shook my hand, smiling at me. "So, you want to go get something to drink?"

I felt my blush deepen. I was a little taken aback by his forwardness, but flattered all the same as he was very good looking. He looked at me, waiting for a response. "Well, umm, sure. Why not?" I smiled back at him.

"Great, I know the perfect place."

ROMEBATMANROMEBATMAN

I smiled remembering how we had gotten drinks and ended up walking and talking around the city till past midnight. It was just one of those moments where you meet someone and you feel as if you had known them forever. We had exchanged phone numbers and tried to meet up a couple more times for lunch or dinner, but it never worked out. I was bummed nothing came from it, but was glad at the serendipitous friendship we shared for a few hours.

Sarah brought me back to the present. "Wow, Theresa. If that's not Bruce Wayne, then my mother's a monkey."

I let out a small laugh. "It really was him, wasn't it?" I was still in shock. "I can't believe it. It's like Bruce Wayne is two different people." I looked over at Sarah who seemed a little confused. "When I saw him tonight he was just so different from the man in Rome. Brian, err, Bruce, he was just so sincere about everything, so down to earth. The Bruce I had dinner with tonight was like a polar opposite. To him, everything was about wealth and fame. To be honest, he was kind of a snob."

Sarah feigned shock. "Bruce Wayne, the playboy billionaire, a snob? Impossible!" I shot her an annoyed look. She sighed. "Look, when you met him in Rome, he was probably on vacation and obviously didn't want to be recognized. But, you said yourself how sincere he was. Do you think tonight was maybe, well, a front?"

I paused to ponder this. "I guess it could be possible, I mean, if I we're a playboy billionaire, I would want to get away every once in a while. Maybe you're right. At least, I hope you're right."

"Yeah, well, at least he's hot." Sarah grinned, "He is just as good looking in real life though, right?"

I smiled, "Yes, I will give him that. I had to sit next to him the entire meal, and it was so hard not to stare! I don't think I ever really looked at him the entire meal because I was too scared."

"Scared of what? That his looks would kill you?" Sarah laughed.

I smiled, "Oh if only, then I wouldn't have had to go through that misery! No, it was just that he was so intimidating! I don't know how Rachel is friends with him." I mused.

Sarah rolled her eyes at me. "I would hardly call dinner with Bruce Wayne misery, no matter how arrogant he may have been. Anyway, so tell me more! I want to know everything!"

I began with him walking in with his prima ballerina date, talking about how she was hitting on Harvey, to which Sarah was visibly annoyed by.

"Ugh, what a skank."

"I know right?" I laughed, "Anyway, so my brother goes all political about the batman and how he's so great for Gotham, you know how his tangents can be, and Natascha proposes that Harvey is the batman!"

Sarah joined me in laughing. "Harvey? The batman? Please!"

"That's just what I said! So, then after all this Bruce randomly decides to be, well, nice."

"How so?"

"Well, he offered to throw Harvey a fundraiser. This week."

"Wow," Sarah looked impressed, "That's really generous of him. Do you know why? Didn't your brother just get elected?"

"Yeah, he did. I dunno, I guess it's one of the many mysteries of Bruce Wayne."

"Well, tell me all about this fundraiser! It sounds fun." Sarah smiled at me.

I was glad for the slight change of subject, there was just something about Bruce Wayne that didn't sit right with me. Why would he have lied to me in Rome? Why was he so different now than when I met him two years ago? What was he hiding? "It's this Friday. I can't believe he's putting it together so quickly. I guess when you have money like that you really can do what you want."

"Well, regardless, it sounds fabulous."

"It does," I smiled. "And I will give it to Bruce, it's a nice thing he's doing for my brother. Maybe he really is more like the Bruce I met in Rome than the one I met tonight."

Sarah smiled at me, "Let's hope so." She yawned and went to crawl back into bed. I looked back at my computer screen, looking at the picture of Bruce sitting on the railing. Sighing I closed my computer and went to get ready for bed. As I settled under the covers my thoughts drifted back to Bruce. I really hoped that somewhere deep down, that Bruce I met in Rome was still there, hiding under a mask of fame and fortune.

ROMEBATMANROMEBATMAN

I awoke in the morning to the sound of a loud beeping. I rolled over and threw my pillow over my head.

"Ugh, Sarah, is it really time?"

"Yup, come on, I don't want to get up either, but I don't want to miss my flight."

"Fine, gimme five more minutes." I mumbled.

"Ok, I'll meet you downstairs."

I heard her leave the room as I rolled over and dragged myself out of bed and into the bathroom. I splashed my face with some cold water and threw on some clothes. When I walked downstairs, Sarah was all ready to go, waiting for me with her bag.

I yawned as we headed out into the grey Gotham morning. I looked over at Sarah sitting quietly beside me in the car, too quietly. When I thought about it, she had been acting a little off since yesterday. "You're mad at me. I can tell. What's up?"

She sighed, "Look, it's not that I'm mad at you." She paused, "I guess I'm just annoyed. I thought yesterday was going to be just you and me, and I was kinda looking forward to that."

I looked over at her, and sighed, "I'm sorry, you're right, I probably should've asked you first if it was ok that Rachel came with us."

She nodded, but didn't say anything more.

"That's not all is it?" I asked concerned.

"It's just that, when we were shopping, I dunno, I kinda felt like you ignored me a little. Like I was just there for show or something." She finished sadly.

"Oh Sarah! I'm so sorry!" the sadness was evident in my voice, "I had no idea you felt that way. It's just that I hadn't seen Rachel in a while and she's like a sister to me and…" I trailed off, "Please can I make it up to you? We'll plan a shopping day before finals ok? Just me and you."

A small smile appeared on her face. "Ok, sounds good."

The rest of the ride to the airport was rather quite. We chatted a bit, but it was early so we were both tired. When we finally arrived, I gave Sarah a big hug and wished her a great trip home.

"Call me when you get there ok? And say hi to your parent's for me!"

She smiled, "Of course!" She waved good-bye and turned and walked into the terminal. I yawned and pulled away from the curb and headed back towards Harvey's. I stopped at a local coffee shop to surprise Harvey with some coffee and pastries; I knew he'd appreciate it.

When I arrived back at the house, Harvey was just coming down the stairs.

"Hey big brother. Got you some coffee!"

He looked a little confused, but took the drink from me and took a long sip, which ended with a contented sigh.

"That is some good coffee." He commented taking a seat at the island in the kitchen.

"I thought you'd like it," I said as I took a sip of my own. "Here, I got some pastries too." I grabbed a plate and arranged the various treats on it. "Buon appetite!"

He smiled up at me and grabbed a croissant, "You are too good to me."

"Eh, I try. So, what do you think of this big bash on Friday? I can't believe Bruce is throwing it together so quickly! Though, I guess when you're Bruce Wayne you can pretty much do what you want."

Harvey let out a quite laugh. "It should be interesting that's for sure. Rachel said she'd like to take you shopping and get your hair done or whatever it is that you girls do."

I laughed at him. "Oh Harv, there's nothing wrong with a girl pampering herself to look her best."

"If it were up to me, you'd wear a turtle neck sweater and a bag over your head."

"Am I that hideous?" I asked, feigning horror at his comment, though I quickly grinned. "You know Harv, as overprotective as you are, one day you're going to have to learn that I am twenty-three, almost twenty-four for that matter, and despite what you think, I _can_ take care of myself."

"Well, until you are twenty-four then I'm not going to change."

I rolled my eyes at him. "So, I have to wait one more month?" He nodded. "Eh, I can do that. But promise you won't go all crazy before then?"

He laughed, "Promise."

HARVEYTWOFACEHARVETWOFACE

A/N: Sorry the beginning of this chapter is kinda crummy. It was just one of those things that no matter how you worded it, you couldn't get it how you wanted. So I apologize for that. And plus, it's late and I'm tired :) Reviews are much appreciated! Also! I have fic-art for this! See my profile for info on how to find it ^_^ and just added to the collection is the picture Theresa took of Bruce in Rome.

Till next time!

~SalsaGirl626


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After we ate, Harvey said he'd clean up the kitchen and let me rest after my early morning. I decided to take a long hot shower and then go wander around my city. I walked downstairs to find Harvey shifting through a large stack of papers.

"Hey Harv," He looked up at me almost startled as he was so engrossed in his work. I smiled at him, "I'm gonna head into the city, probably grab some lunch or something. Care to join me?"

Harvey sighed, "I wish I could, but I have a big case I'm working on. Another time, ok?"

"Sure thing," As I turned to leave he called me back.

"Rese! Hey, would you mind bringing this to Rachel at the MCU?" He handed me a manila envelope filled with probably very important papers.

"Yeah, no problem. But, wait, it's Sunday." I gave him a puzzled look.

Harvey smirked, "Do you really think that would keep Rachel away from work?"

I laughed, "Good point." I took the envelope from him and headed out into the city.

HARVEYTWOFACEHARVEYTWOFACE

It was a crisp fall day as I walked through Gotham Park on my way to the MCU building. It wasn't too cool, but not quite warm either: I thought it was perfect. The park had long been one of my favorite places in the city and it was nice to be back. I watched couples strolling through with nothing on their minds but each other. I saw children running around with parents watching close by. Everyone seemed relaxed and happy. It was a side of Gotham I loved seeing.

When I reached the MCU, I couldn't have been in a better mood. It just felt so great to be home, spending time with Harvey and Rachel. Even thoughts of Bruce Wayne couldn't have brought me down now. The MCU was busy with cops and it was hard trying to find someone who could point me in the right direction. Finally I just stopped an officer and asked him where I could find Rachel Dawes. He pointed to his left and continued on his way shaking his head at me. I rolled my eyes and walked down a hallway of offices that was quiet compared to the rest of the division keeping an eye out for Rachel's office. It didn't take me to long to find, for as I got half way down the hall, a door swung open and out walked Bruce Wayne. He looked up at me and nodded his head in agitated acknowledgement and walked away. I glanced back at his retreating form and shook my head. I walked toward the door and looked in to see Rachel at her desk with her head in her hands, silently fuming. I lightly knocked on the doorframe and her head shot up. She looked worn out, but her face brightened some when she saw me.

"Hey Rese, come on in. Harvey said you'd be stopping by."

I stepped into the office tentatively, "Is everything ok? What's with Bruce?"

Rachel sighed and shook her head, "Oh, it's nothing, we just had a little," she paused as if to find the right words, "Disagreement. But it's really nothing, don't worry about it."

"Ok, if you're sure," I gave a concerned look, but shook it off myself. "Anyway, Harvey wanted me to give these to you." I handed her the folder and sat down in the chair across from her. She opened the folder and sighed as she took out the huge stack of papers. "Rachel, you need a break, let's go grab lunch." I suggested, noticing how tired she looked.

"That sounds great, let me just get my stuff together." She quickly filed away the papers I brought over for later and grabbed her purse and coat.

We headed out of the MCU making small talk as we headed to a café I had spotted on the walk over that smelled divine. As we walked, Rachel's mood brightened considerably, and by the time we got there, she seemed back to her normal, happy, self.

Soon we were sitting in an outdoor café enjoying some delicious soup and sandwiches. We were casually chatting, when Rachel suddenly changed topics.

"Hey, so what was with you last night?"

"What do you mean?" I felt my face heat up knowing she was referring to Bruce.

"C'mon Rese, you can't lie to me and neither can Bruce for that matter. So how do you know each other?"

I sighed knowing it would all come out eventually.

"So you know how I spent my sophomore year in Rome?" Rachel nodded, "Well, at the end of my trip, I met this guy Brian, who until last night, I didn't ever think I'd see him again. It turns out the Brian isn't Brian at all, but Bruce."

Rachel nodded knowingly. "So that's why he kept staring at you."

My eyes went wide, "What?" I was shocked, _so he _had_ recognized me_.

Rachel smiled, "You know, if you had actually looked at him during the meal, it sounds as if you may have saved yourself a lot of time and anxiety."

"Well, it wasn't only that. I was just so confused." Rachel shot me a questioning look and I continued, "It's just that the Bruce I met last night was so different than the Bruce I met in Rome. That Bruce was so genuine and down to earth, and last night he was anything but that."

Rachel sat there quietly nodding her head. "Sometimes," She paused as if to figure out how she wanted to word what she had to say, "Sometimes Bruce surprises us all. I've know him since we were children, and I still feel like I don't completely know him."

I looked at Rachel, as she seemed distracted by something. "Is everything ok?" I was concerned about a kind of sad look on her face.

Her head popped up, "Yeah, of course! Why?" She answered a little too eagerly.

"No, it's nothing, you just looked kinda out of it for a second. You sure you're good?" I was still a little concerned about the strange way she was acting.

Rachel nodded and smiled, "Don't worry, it's nothing." She stood up, "Anyway, I really need to get going. I have a lot of work to do."

I stood to follow her out of the café, laving a tip on the table. "It's alright. Are you coming for dinner tomorrow?"

"Are you cooking?" Rachel asked with a sly grin on her face.

I laughed, "Don't worry, I promise I would never put you through that agony!"

Rachel laughed with me, "Yes, I think I'll be over. Thanks for lunch Rese," She hugged me as we parted ways.

I waved goodbye as she walked away and contemplated our conversation. I still couldn't believe that Bruce recognized me. I shook my head as I walked back towards Harvey's house. I still had so many questions running through my mind, and it was difficult to distract myself on the walk home. No matter what ran through my mind, I could not seem to figure out Bruce Wayne.

BATMANBRUCEWAYNEBATMANBRUCEW AYNE

It didn't surprise me at all to find the house empty when I returned. Harvey never could stop working and often told me (more than I cared to hear), "If you don't dedicate yourself to work hard, then you will never get anything done." Even though he wasn't there, I shook my head at him and his ridiculous sayings.

Heading upstairs, I decided I should probably send an email to my mom. I was anxious to hear how their trip to Bermuda was going and I'm sure she was anxious to hear how Harvey and I were doing. I threw on my favorite old sweater, grabbed my computer and walked across the hall to Harvey's study. He usually didn't like me in there, but A) he wasn't home and B) he had this big, fancy leather chair that despite appearances, was probably the most comfortable piece of furniture my brother owned.

Snuggling in, I opened my laptop and clicked on the browser. One thing about being a public servant was you always had a great internet connection. I smiled as I loaded up all my webpages within seconds. Clicking on my mail, I was surprised to see my mother had already emailed me. Smiling I moused over to the message.

"Hi baby!

Sending you a quick email from Bermuda! It's so lovely here; thank you so much for treating us to this. I hope you're enjoying your time with your brother, I know how busy he can be."

_You have no idea,_ I smiled at her mom's ironic words.

"Anyway, I heard news of trouble in Gotham, this man called the Jokester or

something like that. He robbed a bank on Thursday and the news says the mob is stirring up trouble again. Why do we let you visit there again? Please be careful sweetie and don't go out alone at night. We love you very much and tell your brother thank you again.

Xox,

Mom"

_The Jokester? What is she rambling about now? _Mom was known to be a bit overly paranoid, but it couldn't hurt to look at what she was warning about. Opening a new page, I searched "Gotham + Bank Robbery + Thursday" and a slew of articles came up featuring a grotesque picture of a clown. Gotham City News had a clip of the robbery from the security cameras on their article. I watched it in silence as a shiver ran down my spine. My mother was actually right; this creep was someone to keep an eye one.

Closing the webpage, I couldn't help but notice the awful quietness of Harvey's home. I turned on some music as loud as it would go and set my computer on his desk. Hurrying downstairs, I just wanted to make sure all the doors were locked tight and the alarm was on. I knew I didn't have much to worry about, but still, Harvey _was_ the district attorney and I couldn't shake the butterflies from my stomach.

BATMANJOKERBATMANJOKER

A/N: OH MY GOSH AM I ACTUALLY UPDATING? YES. YES I AM. This chapter has been sitting on my computer for, jeeze, years now I guess and I FINALLY finished it! So, yay on that. I guess with Nolan's newest Batman creation I got back on track :) Anyway, enjoy! As always, I don't own anything (except a pair of awesome Joker/Batman shoes). Already started working on the Ch 5, comments are always appreciated!


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